The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-04
SUSPENDED ANIMATION.
PA UzzLING CASE THAT HAS LONG
DEFIED THE FACULTY.
Respiration obstructod by Foreign
Body in the Gullet-A Double oper-
alton with Successful Result Pecu-
liarities of the Case.

are not now resting IN the quiet shades
over in Greenwood cemetery, William
works in large clothing house, lives in
Harlem and has his dinner at home in
the evening. On last Monday night he
got outside OF about rs much roast beef rs
u hungry boy is capable Of, and feeling
tired and sleepy went to bed about .
o'clock. lie woke up soon after midnight
dcathly sick, lie called Tor his mother,
but before she could get To him he began
to vomit. lie rctchcd terribly for u few
minutes, and then became quiet When
| his mother got Ia him he was lying partly
ON the floor and partly ON the bed. His
neck and face were swollen, his eyes stuck
out ~ far that il seemed M il they had
been thrown from their sockets, aud
| his face was rapidly turning black.
| His mother shook and tried to
rouse him. There was no response to her
| plcadngs aud cries, and when she let %
his hand il fell limp and apparently lite
| less hy his side. DIR. Lind, the family
! physician, who lives only block away,
| was called 10 the bedside, lie glanced NJ
the boy, felt his heart in q pcriunc,ory
way. saw that there was no movement OF
| the chest, and pronounced the hoy dead,
The boys death came like the explosion
of bomb into the happy family circle:
| lie had gone To bed in good health, and
his sudden taking oil WIS certainly mys.
FERROUS. As he had died without medical
attendance and the cause OF death was IN
! doubt an autopsy was suggested TO the
! family aud agreed 10 by them rs II ai-
| for,led the easiest method OF getting u
| death certificate. Dr. prntiss, Of the New
/ York hospital. was called in To make the
nutnpsy, and ON the following afternoon
| went To the house oi sorrOw with his little
! box of tools. A the weather had been
| cold the body had not been put ON lee
aud the condition OF the boy WIS about
the same, ~ far M external appearances
were concerned rs when he died. The
! body was lifted ON a table With oilCloths
| To prevent the fluids from reaching the
! floor, and all the clothing removed. The
surgeon held the knife in readiness Ia 90
! on with his work while talking with the
physicians present, and clrclc-sly dropped
! his hand upon the boys chest. lie
! started with surprise aud conversation
ceased. lie turned quickly and looked nj
! the boy. Tho face had resumed the
natural shade, aud surely had the
seal Of death upon II. The
! surgeon ran his hand ncryously over the
boys body. then down his legs, and then
startled everybody los saving that the boy
was not dead The body WAS warm.
! Thinking that there was some peculiar
nervous condition about himself that oc.
! rlsioncd this state, the surgeon requested
every one To feel the body, nnd all agreed
that Il did not have the chill ol death.
speedily the knife fell upon the boys
arm. anil light inCi-ion was made. Blood
| slowly uO1rd irum the wound. \ iaNura.
hlr sirn Tor lie surely siclhcScopc was
nut over the bows heart. The surgeon
| listened intcnlly. 4 pleasant look ol sat.
| isiactiun PASSED over his iacc, aud told thnl
the heart gave evidence ui life. Il VII
beating. but Il was like the iuiulcsi wills
per from another world and told that III,
was still there. Tho surgeons brow cloudc,
~ ho diycd into the mysteries OF thought
Ia explain the sirlngr condition. Their
wis only one conclusion reached, and that
was that il was q ease ol suspended anima.
ton. What was the cause Of ~ Theory
might give a thousand explanations but
only pmriirnl explanation could tell posi-.
lively. The boy had become Unconscious
while vomiting. This indicated that the
stomach had been disturbed, aud during
the effort Ia throw out something,
the strange condition came On. Might
not something ha,o lodged In thc
vindpipr' There WIS no nrynruscopc nj
hand Ia look NJ the throat The throat
| wa. pressed from the outside and lump
found there II was not In the tmchca, and
could only be- In the crophaga. Tho boy
| mouth was opened aud % flexible tubs
| passed into The csophaguA II met viii an
obstruction after going short distance.
An nttrmpi WINS made a. d,lolgc the lpr.
pign body aud force u into the stomach,
| hui this ~ well ns the effort a. remove n
! with u hook, was unsuccessful. u could
only bo reached from the outside. Two
operations wrro decided upon, the one ~
restore breathing aud the other a. remove
the foreign body. The surgeon found the
the cricoid cartilage In the irchca With
I hiH finger aud made nm inc.ipn IN the
flesh about two inches long near the top Of
| tho slruum. The muscles wcrr held
npar with hooks. When the rings Of the
trachca wen plainly In view VA upward In
ri.Iun WIS made into 10, taking care IN
avoid the thyroid gland. Tho inri-iuu WIS
about ln inch long The blood WAS wiped
away with fp1ng,s, aud t'nchruipmy
tube WIS placed into ihc opening and lit
ted ~ the neck. The usual rush Di ale
which follows the opening Of the WinlpIpc
was not heard. This operation was per.
formed with speed and skill. Fortunately,
there WIS small blower la tho house
" thc old fashioned variety. This was
worked rapidly Zoo the open mir, until nlI
dust was removed from II. Then IL WI.
firmly pressed upon the tpchoclomy tube
aud air wa slowly forced into the luug,
the mouth and nose being tight shut
When the lungs were iillcd, toe air WI
expelled by u slow pressure on the abdp'
men. This movement was repeated about
fifteen times a minute. While several us.
ssants were doing this, Che surgeons con.
tuupd the operations. The head uf the
patient was held backward and an inci.ipn
ui five inches long WIS made along the
HernomastDii muscle. ErluCiUn were
used 10 draw the carotid sheath and the
atcrno.masluid outward and ihu lurynK in.
ward. A canuln wa uaHod into tho mouth
until the foreign substance was reached,
and the handle was carried 30 the lvit pm u-
to raise the csophagus IN the right side
Whrp the incision had bprn made. The
rsnphagus WIS opened from the outside,
taking the clnula a. % guide, directly over
the foreign Huftnncc, aud when d could be-
seen ioucps were applied 10 u, and Il va.
taken out through an Unexpectedly small
opening The substance proved tD bo u
piece 81 meat around a shHrp flat bone.
EndWiac IL could have safely passed
through the tube. but coming up as d did
IL had wedgrd itself lnsi. The wound
was closed Immediately after bH.
ing wished and few sutups were made
in the neck. The artificial respiration was
continued OH the while without pcrccpli'
ble effect during the operation aud was
| I.,l ~, AL.LnLiIunI. Nm, FIRMLY niArn